Indiana's high school graduation rate slipped in 2017, falling nearly two points from the previous year and dropping to its lowest point in the past six years.

Last year's graduation rate was 87.2 percent, down from 89.1 percent in 2016, according to data released Friday by the Indiana Department of Education.

The dip was felt across every subgroup of Indiana students, regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status or academic ability.

“Our schools are committed to the academic success of our students,” said Jennifer McCormick, Indiana's superintendent of public instruction. “We recognize there is still work to be done and will continue to partner with local districts to ensure every student graduates prepared for life beyond high school.”

The department declined to comment further.

The decline was the largest single-year drop in the past 11 years, the time span in which state data was immediately available.

The news comes at a time when the state's entire high school graduation system is in flux. Lawmakers are trying to overhaul the diploma system in order to match new federal guidelines for how graduation rates are calculated. The new calculation could tank the rate used for federal reporting purposes.

The State Board of Education recently adopted new high school graduation requirements that go beyond earning a diploma.

Beginning with the class of 2023, next year's eighth-graders, students will have to also demonstrate that they have learned the "soft skills" sought by employers — such as good communication, showing up on time and an ability to work well with others — and are ready to enter the workforce or higher education.

They will be required to complete a project-, service- or work-based learning experience and hit a college- and career-ready benchmark, as defined by the state. Benchmarks include:

Earning an honors diploma.

Hitting the college-ready benchmark on the SAT or ACT (benchmarks are set by the test providers).

Scoring well enough on the ASVAB test for placement into one of the branches of the U.S. military.

Earning a state- or industry-recognized skill credential.

Completing a state-, federal- or industry-recognized apprenticeship.

Earning a C average in three higher level courses, like AP, IB or Dual Credit.

Earning a C average and six credits in a career and technical education sequence.

A group of principals met with State Board of Education staff earlier this week and raised concerns about the number of students that wouldn't hit any of those benchmarks.

State board and Education Department staff are still hammering out the exact parameters, such as how these new requirements will be met, monitored and implemented.

At least one lawmaker thinks the changes to high school graduation requirements could boost the state's rate.

Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis, is the head of the House Education Committee and was on the panel that drafted the new requirements. He said new pathways to graduation could help students that struggled previously with rigid graduation-qualifying exam requirements.

"I think it's a problem graduation pathways will help address," said Behning, referencing the panel that drafted the new requirements. "Instead of us using only one way ... to demonstrate that students are ready for college and career, we have put a number of different ways for students to verify they are prepared for college and or career."

The state's largest teacher's union had another solution: focusing more resources on public schools.

"Considering the flood of change and constant turmoil in state education policy in the last decade, it’s no surprise Indiana’s graduation rate has dropped and remained relatively stagnant over the past several years," said Teresa Meredith, ISTA president. "Indiana lawmakers’ blind embrace of charter schools, private school vouchers, overreliance on testing and anti-union efforts haven’t made the progress Hoosiers were sold. It is time for our elected officials to refocus their support for our neighborhood public schools.”

A member of the State Board of Education was not immediately available for comment Friday.